How to Get the Most From Your Personal Trainer

10 Tips for Making the Most of Your Training Sessions

If you’re spending valuable time and money on personal training, you deserve to get great results. And a lot of that depends on you. We asked some top-shelf PTs what they wish more of their clients would do in the name of great fitness outcomes, and here’s what they said:

Ditch the chitchat. Although a little back and forth builds rapport and keeps things lively, a constant stream of small talk can be detrimental — particularly when you’re both distracted from your efforts, timing and form.

Show up on time. Every minute you’re late chips away at the time you scheduled for fitness and can totally throw off your trainer’s workout plan. Many trainers like clients to arrive early for a proper warm-up before their session starts.

Respect the stopwatch. There’s a reason your trainer is specifying 30- or 60-second breaks between sets and asking you to hold the intensity of cardio intervals for specific durations. Adhere to that timing, and you’ll see far better results.

Clean up your eating. No amount of working out can hide the evidence of a lackluster diet. Follow your trainer’s nutritional advice, make the switch to more whole, natural foods, and you’ll be amazed at the difference it makes.

Don’t fib. Your trainer will have a hard time managing your program and results if you claim to be exercising more or eating better than you really are. Be candid about what you’re willing to do — then let your trainer be frank about the results you can expect.

Be a “yes” person. Many trainers have an aversion to the phrase “I can’t do that.” Have an injury? Say “I have an injury” — and let your trainer adjust accordingly. But be open to trying new things, even if they don’t come easily at first.

Trust your trainer. It’s OK to ask questions about why you’re doing certain exercises, but in the end, you either trust your trainer’s expertise or you don’t. Interrupting and arguing can waste time and undermine the dynamic of your relationship, causing frustration for you both.

Get good Z’s. Your fitness recovery and progress hinge on adequate sleep. And so does your available energy for workouts. Showing up exhausted drastically limits the potential of your sessions.

Speak your truth. Personal trainers can be intuitive, but they’re not mind readers. Tell them how your body feels, and how your motivation is faring, so they can tweak your regimen based on your feedback.

Put your heart into it. If you really want to get healthier and more fit, bring that attitude to your training sessions — and to your willingness to change your life. Enthusiasm breeds success.

Individual Results May Vary

We Recommend you have a physical and get doctors approval before starting an exercise program.